Mother's Day Reflections: Then And Now

Seems that every year around Mother’s Day I get together with some girlfriends. We wind up having our own impromptu Mother’s Day celebration sans husbands, partners and kids. We talk about our own mothers. Channeling our teenage years, we gripe about their injustices to us. Then we talk about how much we love them, and how we never could have become the people we are without their guidance and unwavering love. Those of us who have lost them take a few minutes to mourn once again with affection

This year we wound up discussing our pregnancies. Who craved what? Was it an easy pregnancy? Why was it difficult? How much weight gain? Was it easy to lose? Who had morning sickness and for how long? Wasn’t pregnancy sex amazing? Who experienced hair loss? Did it grow back? And why was it that every one of us knew about morning sickness and food cravings, inevitable backaches and interrupted sleep, but not one of us had any idea that pregnancy hormones could cause hair shedding?

Every one of us was different. One lucky friend had two glorious pregnancies - fabulous sex, no morning sickness, gained a normal healthy amount and lost it quickly. Easy – don’t we all wish for that? She did admit that she had some hair loss, but it grew back quickly and completely.

Another who was vegetarian at the time CRAVED meat, even eating hot dogs and then feeling guilty. She insists it was the perfect training for motherhood because by the end of nine months she could handle her guilt. She had some hair shedding which at the time she attributed to eating meat, but says she knows better now because of pregnancy hormones! Also, admittedly a type A personality, she says for the first time in her life she was always late.

Still another was nauseated throughout the entire time. Before she wanted to tell anyone that she was pregnant she was at my home for a community meeting. She pulled me aside and confided because she was so queasy. She was afraid she would bolt for the bathroom. I remember unexpectedly serving everyone cheese and crackers because I wanted to give her saltines, but I didn’t want to betray her confidence. She swears she threw up every day, including the day she delivered.

Me? I craved red licorice, had to spend too much time resting, and gained too much weight. It was the first time I noted hair in the shower drain. Some of it grew back but not nearly enough. The wavy, thick mane that was too heavy to wear in a pony tail in my twenties was gone, replaced by finer hairs, and fewer of them, so that in my thirties my hair barely held a barrette.

To a woman, it was absolutely worth every bout of nausea, every pound of baby weight never lost, and every hair never regained. All of our kids are perfect, we say tongues in cheeks, though perhaps not as teenagers.

Also, we all wish we had Merelta back then for thicker, voluminous and vital hair. It's great we have it today. With kids grown, with the attention and energy shifting back to ourselves, Root Renewal is such a delight of vitality and renewal.